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Care and Share asks Emily council to move meal operations into City Hall; council seeks health‑inspection and cost details
Summary
Representatives of Care and Share asked the Emily City Council to let the food program relocate to City Hall, proposing shared use of community rooms and a small storage area; council members asked for a state health‑inspector assessment, detailed cost estimates and clarity on who would pay renovation costs.
Herb and Lori Nelson, speaking for Care and Share, told the Emily City Council on Oct. 14 that the nonprofit has served more than 180,000 meals since 2008 and is seeking permission to relocate operations from Emily Wesleyan Church to Emily City Hall.
The Nelsons proposed shared use of the quilters' room, Makers' Place of Emily and the Northern Outpost conference room, and asked for about 7 feet of storage space in the quilters' room and placement of a single‑phase walk‑in freezer under a shelter outside City Hall. Lori Nelson said most equipment would be moved from the current location and that Care and Share would fund renovations using the group's existing funds, volunteer labor and grant applications.
Makers' Place organizer Shanda Landes said the space is an important hub for newcomers and expressed support for Care and Share so long as existing groups are not displaced. Resident Sharon Timmons voiced similar support but raised liability questions about operating a commercial kitchen in City Hall and asked how many meals would be consumed on site versus delivered to outlying areas.
Council members acknowledged the value of the service but said use of City Hall raises building‑code and health‑inspector issues and could require structural work and kitchen upgrades to meet state health requirements. The council requested a state health inspector assessment of the City Hall kitchen/space, detailed renovation cost estimates, and a breakdown showing which costs Care and Share would cover and which would fall to the City.
The council did not take immediate action; members said they want more information and also asked staff to discuss the matter with Emily Wesleyan Church and to return the item when the requested documentation is available.
